Thursday, June 05, 2014

WASHINGTON –The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to halt new marriages
between same-sex couples in Oregon. The National Organization for
Marriage (NOM), sought a stay of a lower court’s decision allowing
marriages to take place, and after the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals
denied a similar request two weeks ago. Both the American Civil
Liberties Union and the state of Oregon filed briefs opposing NOM’s
request.

"With marriages continuing in Oregon, we have 44 percent of the
country living in a freedom-to-marry state: same-sex couples are now
part of marriage in America today," said James Esseks, director of the
ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Project. "Across the country,
more and more Americans are embracing the truth that their friends,
family, and neighbors in same-sex couples deserve the protection and
dignity that only come with marriage."

U.S. District Judge Michael J. McShane declared on May 19 that
Oregon’s ban on marriages between same-sex couples violates the equal
protection clause of the federal constitution and ordered the state to
begin issuing marriage licenses immediately.

A few days earlier, Judge McShane denied NOM’s 11th-hour
request to intervene in the case saying the request was filed too late
and that neither NOM nor its members had met the legal standard
necessary to justify intervention in the case.

"We are delighted that the Court has rejected NOM’s attempt to derail
marriage equality in Oregon," said ACLU of Oregon executive director
David Fidanque. "We are confident that marriage equality in Oregon will
help pave the way for marriage equality nationwide."

On May 19, Oregon became the 18th state (plus the District
of Columbia) to provide the freedom to marry to committed, loving
same-sex couples and Pennsylvania became the 19th state on May 20 through another ACLU lawsuit.

Judge McShane’s decision was issued in response to two separate
lawsuits filed by the ACLU of Oregon and private attorneys on behalf of
four same sex couples in long term relationships and the Basic Rights
Education Fund to overturn Oregon’s ban on marriage for lesbian and gay
couples.

About Me

We do not open attachments. Stop e-mailing them. Threats and abusive e-mail are not covered by any privacy rule. This isn't to the reporters at a certain paper (keep 'em coming, they are funny). This is for the likes of failed comics who think they can threaten via e-mails and then whine, "E-mails are supposed to be private." E-mail threats will be turned over to the FBI and they will be noted here with the names and anything I feel like quoting.
This also applies to anyone writing to complain about a friend of mine. That's not why the public account exists.